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Ham (ingredient)

Meat · Cured & processed meats

Ham

Pork leg cured with salt, often cooked and smoked; sliced for sandwiches or used in bakes and soups.

Also called: cooked ham, sliced ham

A kind of pork

32 recipes with it

Photo: Renee Comet (Photographer), via Wikimedia Commons (public-domain)

What it is

Ham is the hind leg of the pig, cured in brine or salt. This record is cooked ham: pink, moist and ready to eat, sold sliced or as a joint (gammon in Britain is cured leg sold raw for cooking). Raw dry-cured hams such as prosciutto and jamón are a separate category.

How it’s used

  • Sandwiches and croque monsieur
  • Quiche, omelettes and pizza
  • Split pea soup and bean stews
  • Glazed baked ham
  • Pasta and fried rice

Characteristics

Taste
Salty, mildly sweet and savoury.
Texture
Moist and tender.
When cooked
Already cooked; needs only warming. Ham bones and hocks give deep flavour to soups.
Sold as
cured, smoked
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked

Kinds in our pantry

Storage

Refrigerated. Keep sealed in the fridge; use sliced ham within a few days of opening.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Deli meats can carry Listeria; pregnant people and the immunocompromised are often advised to eat them heated until steaming.
  • Processed meat, high in salt.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
164 kcal
Protein
16.6 g
Carbohydrate
3.63 g
Fat
8.8 g
Fibre
1.3 g
Sugars
1 g

USDA FoodData Central: Ham, sliced, regular (approximately 11% fat).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Related ingredients

Recipes with ham

See all 32

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